The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-10
ABOUT WATCHES AND CLOCKS.
An Interesting Lecture by the Great Preac
ON q Very Simple Subject

mouth Church IN the evening 1t was the best
that Indian apolis has-not in any society or NOR
atty sense, but in the broadcast lines ofintellect
The thinking people of every profession and oc-
cupation, of all phases of religious belief, OF
every grade of life, were there. and the distin-
guished speaker held them to his touch. For a
few minutes at the first the audience seemed
scarcely to understand him. Possibly they were
studying his appearance and manner for both
were strikingy unusual, but audience ard
speaker we're quickly en- rapport and remained
so. He appears of medium height and moder-
ately stout build. At first glance one calls him
typical Johnny Bull. AS he speaks he appears
more like an old Roman. perhaps NJ ore proper
~ the stage Roman, and this color is heightened
by a not infreauent Shaksperean mode of ex-
preston that brings to mind some OF the great
Brutuses of modern days. If it were not for
he strength of his thought and the charm
of his oratory, which overshadow every other
feature of the man. he would be called STACY"
He was introduced by Prof. w. A. Bell one
we'll known, because his fame had preceded him.
self.
In beginning bis lecture Dr. Parker said:
Twill You kindly allow me to speak on any sub
iect that will most interest this audience7 Jap
pause As hear no objection I shall follow
my own line. If took purely religious sub
iect could not make such references as wish.
l shall therefore speak of clocks and watches.
l will not discuss the science of the construction
of time-pieces. l know much of that as the
most ignorant person in the audience, and no
more i am sometimes afraid open my own
watch for fear / shall not he able 10 close IL.
Clocks and watches have suggestions of matters
In human life which will be profitable to con-
slider. If LOOK at the dial of watch see
the dial three workers Supposlng / were not
aware Of their purpose and value. how would
| falk2 Thus-Here is that has lttle
circuit to himself. How busy he is!
How he trots and runs-always NOV
ing-always busy! No mistake, he
is the business member. Then. above here. is
long, genteel member on the large circuit. He
does not move-yes-no-ves. ne does. but how
slowly. with what infinite gentisy. This thick,
sturdy one does not move at all. Look at the
little one. How doth the little busy bee. By and
by should know that l might take it off and
not muuh impair the value of the watch. I
might take off the long. genteel one. and not
greatly impair it's value q time keeper; but
take of the thick. sturdy one and you night
well throw the watch away, SO far as its useful
ness for telling time is concerned. How like
men are these! Here are the busy little nen
that run about. up and down. always
full of business and always seeming reproach
to everyone who is less active Others move
quietly and genteelly that they appear to be
merely existing. Others move so slowly that we
think they are doing nothing at al. In Eng
land we have peculiar name for these. I
should have to explain it in America for you
have slang here. In England call these
slow, immovable people old foeies. We do not
spell it with ph. hut with frank They are
slow and cold. When anything is proposed
sidered they say they will Go something in
week or two, perhaps. The second hands cry,
stipup there: see how busy we are. What If
those old fogies who take counsel of antiquity
are the hour hands of our progressf Let not
ore despise the other In society let not
say to another, have need of thee. the
law of humanity, while respecting individuality,
seeks the harmony of ALL
"Come with me to a clock store minute be-
fore twelve what confusion OF ticking. Now
they begin to strike. How different their tones.
ana yet they all tell the same story. Here is a
little that rattles off its /, 2, 8. 4. s. g. s.
9. 10, l., IL. Here is big solemn fellow who
sounds 49, Why don't you hurry up,
cries the little one. I shall be around again
before you have done. But the great tells
just the same story and is through in due time.
If a man wanted TO know the time he would not
trouble as to the method in which it was told
Are not there various ways of telling the truth,
and is not the truth more important than the
way. We into church for style.
We fault the preacher because his ssyle
is not as it should be. Very good sermon,
but his style is bad-style-stvle-style. To
such base passes have We come beneath the
very shadow of the altar. When the people get
ont of that We will have new preachers, new
statesmen, new press The great pew will
in their countenances that they look for eternal
truth. They will ask: what. oh speaking man.
shall we dot A man says he is dying of thirst
You give him water, and he says, have you
better goblet than thisf I like to drink from
a silver tankard. from Dresden
china You would say that man lied.
seize the cup and drain it, A thirsty man wants
water, not art When men in earnest they
will make others in earnest You are not
al ways so particular about style Your friend
reads the will observation-disclosures
queath to Henry Tomlin-son-ffteen-
sand-dollars. I-give-and-
bequeath = Decentralization Richardson
twenty five - thousand dollars. l. Give
and-bequeath-to-Sara Patterson = fifty =
And they all go away
and remark his SSvie2 Not fheyt
a word about style 1t is only fifteen thou
sand, twenty-five thousand, fifty Thousand dol
did not have better stylel what pity be had
not taken lessons in elocution2 Not So The
eloquence of Cicero and the oratory of kemb
would have been lost at such a time. They ,
wanted the substance So long this hollow call
for style prevails, so long you will have dolls in
the pulpit and painted things every where.
What is this clock ND heref How do You
strike, sirl don't strike. / can't bear the
clamor of these blatant. vibrant clocks. Peo-
pie must look at me if they would know the
time. The man hears this humble speech, and
buys the clock. He takes it home. He stands
before it and looks upon it as one would on an
exemplary character. December comes and
one of its cherries nights he is restless and can
not sleep. He wants to know the time, but the
clock does not strike. He gets ND in the dark and
falls chair He seeks the match
safe and finds one match left. and it with the
clock. There may be too much humility in a
man. take you to the court of humanity and
ask it If there not times when we need men
that can strike There are times OF darkness
and danger when patriots must speak out. Ger
many found a striking man in Luther Amer
lea has had such strikers Wendell
Henry Ward Beecher. England had
striker in Cromwell and she has now
in the Right Honorable William Ewart Glad
stone. [Great applause.1 thank you for your
welcome the mention of his name, and with
your permission will speak of him a few min
utes after shall have finished my topic. APP
plause. The point now is that we need men
who can strike and tell US what o'clock in the
the dark. The meanest man is the one who
does not strike He says. make 10 professions
have no politics. no religion. l am one OF the
quiet people. the old-fashioned peopie-no! l
stop you there Do not profane that name. Re-
member the Injunction. Thou shalt not steal
Those were brave days of old, and brave men;
martyrs and heroes, who thought It 10 hard
ship to die for their faith. There were men
who wandered in the wildernesses, clad In skins,
Of whom the world was not worthy. Don't
crata h., nal